Worth Keeping
by alli1
Summary: Pre-series; Tony has to answer to Gibbs for a mistake he makes during an undercover operation and finds out exactly how far his new boss is willing to go to ensure it doesn't happen again. Warning--contains non-sexual spanking.


This story is set slightly pre-series, so no McGee or Kate

_Many thanks to Sasha for the quick and thorough beta reading. Any remaining mistakes are mine._

_This story is set slightly pre-series, so no McGee or Kate. In this story, Tony has been with NCIS for about three months_.

WORTH KEEPING

Thursday Evening

Special Agent Jethro Gibbs left the Director's office, his face impassive, only the tight grip on his coffee cup betraying his emotions. He punched the elevator button for the lower level and strode into autopsy.

"Where is he, Duck?" he growled, noticing the medical examiner was alone in the sterile room.

Ducky looked up from the sink where he was washing his hands. "Hello to you, too, Jethro," he chided mildly. "I believe he's taken himself off to Abby's lab. The poor girl wanted to see him and check him over with her own eyes. And no doubt scold him a bit. I'm afraid he gave all of us a bit of a scare this time."

"Is he all right?"

"A little banged up, but nothing that some decent food and a good night's sleep won't cure. And he's certainly well enough to be wondering and worrying about exactly how much trouble he's in for this little escapade—and I must say, for my part, I hope it's a great deal."

Gibbs already intended to make sure that Tony clearly got the message that his actions on the case were completely unacceptable, but he was surprised at Ducky's reaction— the kindly medical examiner had been one of Tony's staunchest defenders since the very first day the younger man had joined his team.

Ducky noticed his expression. "I have become too fond of that young man to let such an egregious lack of judgment go unpunished," he said sternly. "While his courage is certainly admirable, his methods leave a great deal to be desired. I'm not sure what his superiors at the Baltimore PD tolerated, but he needs to know unequivocally that at NCIS, we function as a team."

Having heard almost the exact same words from Director Morrow only moments before, Gibbs could do little more than agree. "Don't worry, Duck, I intend to make sure he gets the message," he responded grimly.

Seeing Gibbs determined face, Ducky nodded in satisfaction. "I have no doubt you will, Jethro. Now, why don't you go retrieve Anthony from our dear Abigail? I'm sure he'd welcome the rescue right about now."

"Serves him right, but I'd like to get home some time tonight so I guess I'd better. Thanks for checking him over, Duck."

"Certainly, Jethro, though I do hope that my services are not needed for the living again any time soon. Not, of course, that I hope they are needed for the dead…oh, you know what I mean."

Gibbs was gone before Ducky finished. He entered Abby's lab quietly, though he needn't have bothered since the music was at her usual pulse-pounding level. He stood unnoticed in the shadows for a moment, observing the interaction between his favorite lab tech and his newest agent.

Abby had been cool with Tony for the first few weeks after he had joined NCIS, and for a short time, Gibbs had been concerned that she didn't like the young man and perhaps his own judgment had been wrong, since he trusted hers implicitly.

He quickly realized that Abby was simply testing Tony by making him jump through her own particular set of hoops, which Tony passed with flying colors. Very quickly the two of them became close friends, alternately teasing and worrying over each other.

And right now, Tony was on the receiving end of a very vexed Abby's wrath. The Goth was not letting Tony get a word in edgewise as she bounced back and forth between scolding and hugging him, plainly unwilling to listen to any explanation he might be attempting to offer.

"Did you leave a piece of him for me, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, startling Tony, though Abby showed no surprise at his appearance.

"He's all yours, boss man," Abby said with a wicked gleam in her eye.

'From the frying pan to the fire', Tony muttered to himself, wishing he could hide behind Abby.

"Let's go, Tony," Gibbs said, keeping his tone neutral. He turned, clearly expecting the younger man to follow.

Tony gave Abby a last hug and she offered him an encouraging smile as he dutifully left the lab and trailed Gibbs down the hall.

Once he and Gibbs were ensconced in the elevator, Tony was surprised when his boss hit the button to take them to the parking garage.

"Aren't we going to see the director now?"

"Nope, right now, I take you home."

Tony nodded, unsure whether to be relieved or worried that any discussion regarding his future at NCIS was apparently going to wait until morning. But at least he'd be a federal agent for another few hours.

He followed Gibbs to the older man's car, thankful he wouldn't have to try and requisition a vehicle at this hour since his own was still at home, having been deemed unsuitable for his undercover assignment.

Tony closed his eyes and rested his head back against the seat, preparing himself for the emotional storm to come. Gibbs' ominous silence troubled him more than if his boss had begun yelling right away. Tony was afraid it meant that as soon as he dropped him off, Gibbs would tell Tony not to bother returning to NCIS for anything other than his discharge paperwork.

His eyes popped open a few minutes later as he realized they had missed the exit that would take him to his apartment. Gibbs noticed his snap to attention and silently marveled at his young agent's skills. Even stressed and half dozing, he missed very little.

"Uh, boss, unless you know about some short cut I don't, you missed my exit."

"Nope, didn't miss it," Gibbs replied, continuing to drive at his normal break neck speed, slowing only for an exit ramp several miles from Tony's.

Tony's confusion quickly changed to apprehension when he realized they were heading for Gibbs' own house.

"I thought you said you were taking me home?" he asked, concerned about this new development.

"Yes, I did and I am bringing you home. You just assumed I meant your home. Remember what happens when you assume, DiNozzo."

Tony sank back in to the seat, not at all reassured. He couldn't imagine any reason why Gibbs would want to drag Tony back to his place, unless it was because the upcoming discussion was going to be too loud and unpleasant for the bullpen.

Once they arrived at Gibbs' home, Tony reluctantly followed him into the house, tentatively perching on the couch as his boss took a seat on the chair opposite. Biting the bullet, Tony spoke first.

"Guess you want to talk about the case, huh, boss?"

"Ya think, DiNozzo?"

Tony stared miserably at his shoes. "Look, you didn't have to bring me here to fire me, boss. I'm not going to fall apart or make a scene."

"Is that why you think you're here?"

At Gibbs' surprisingly mild tone, Tony risked a glance. "Well, yeah, isn't it?"

"We'll get to that in a minute. What I want to know now is why you did it."

Tony sighed. "I know I screwed up, boss. I know I was supposed to report in and let the other team follow Benson, but I also knew that if I let that kid out of my sight, she might not ever make it back. None of our intel' even told us there might be a kid involved."

Gibbs glared at him. "No one thought Melissa Danforth would be stupid enough to bring her kid along on a drug buy, but that's beside the point. What you did was foolish and dangerous. You could have been killed when Benson threw you out of the car. The only way undercover operations work successfully is if everyone sticks to the plan in place. Going off on a hero mission throws everyone into turmoil. And anyway, I never questioned your motivations, Tony, only your methods."

Tony hung his head. "Sorry boss, I guess I just didn't think."

"Oh I think you gave it plenty of thought, DiNozzo. I think you just decided that the outcome was worth the risk. In fact, I think if you had to do it again, you'd probably do exactly the same thing."

Tony barely flinched at the accusation, knowing Gibbs was right. He stood abruptly; tired of playing games.

"Look, I'll save you and NCIS the trouble and offer my resignation to the director first thing tomorrow," Tony said stiffly.

Gibbs looked up at him. "Is that what you want? To leave NCIS like you've left all your other jobs, before you really have a chance to get settled in?"

By now the younger man was thoroughly confused. "You know, what I want has never been a real huge factor in my life," he said, unable to hide the bitterness.

"Quit the self-pitying crap, DiNozzo, and answer the question. Do you want to leave NCIS?"

Tony finally found the courage to return Gibbs' direct look. "No, it's not what I want. I love this job," he answered quietly. "But I'm sure Morrow is going to can me anyway. At least this way, I can pretend it's my own choice."

"Actually, he's not. It took some doing, but the director is willing to let me handle it my own way."

"Your own way?" Tony asked, clearly puzzled. "What does that mean?"

"You'll find out," Gibbs replied with a smile that did nothing to curb Tony's unease. "Right now though, you need some food and some sleep, in that order."

Tony nodded wearily. "I can't argue with you there, boss, but I think I'll reverse the order. I'm too tired to eat, but I feel like I could sleep for a week." He edged toward the door.

"Going somewhere DiNozzo?"

"Uh, I thought I'd head home, boss, if you don't mind driving me. Though, I mean, I guess I can call a cab…" he trailed off, suddenly unsure.

"The only place you're going is into the kitchen," Gibbs interrupted. "We still have a lot to discuss and I'm not about to do it on an empty stomach. Besides, I know you haven't eaten a decent meal in days."

Tony's shoulders slumped. He had hoped that any further discussion of the case and his sentence would wait until at least tomorrow, after he had had a good night's sleep. He was already nervous about what Gibbs was going to do to discipline him--no doubt the ex-gunny could be very creative when he came up with punishments. But not wanting to piss Gibbs off even more, he trailed after him in to the kitchen, helping where he could but mostly just watching as Gibbs prepared soup and sandwiches.

After the quick supper, Gibbs pushed back from the table.

"You're on KP, DiNozzo. I'll see you downstairs."

Tony quickly washed up the few dishes they had used, wondering what Gibbs had planned for him now. His new boss could yell better than any coach or police captain he'd ever known, so he knew the lecture wasn't going to be pretty. What really concerned him was how long Gibbs might suspend him. It wasn't an issue of money—his dad might have cut him off, but his mother had left him a nice little sum of her own, so he could get by for a while. But he hated being out of the loop, hated not having a purpose when he got out of bed in the morning. And if he was honest with himself, deep down he was worried that Gibbs might find a replacement agent who wasn't such a screw up.

He descended the steps slowly, settling on one close to the bottom. He watched Gibbs putter at his workbench for a few moments and then finally worked up the courage to speak.

"So what happens now, boss?"

Gibbs didn't answer for a while, but then he turned and looked at Tony.

"When I screwed up—I mean really screwed up, my father had a tried and true method to convince me of the error of my ways. Then, when I joined the marines, my DI used the same method. Old fashioned, but effective."

Tony looked confused. What was Gibbs going to do to him—make him run ten miles 'til he was puking? But no; he said his father had used it too, and that seemed like an unlikely punishment for a kid.

Seeing Tony's confusion, Gibbs smiled thinly. "Here, DiNozzo, here's a clue."

Tony stood and took the flat piece of lumber his boss handed him. He stared at it, baffled, wondering if it was something for Gibbs' boat. Was his punishment going to be helping Gibbs in his basement shop?

"Uh, boss, I'm not much at woodworking. I haven't picked up a saw since shop class in high school, and even then, I almost cut off my thumb."

"Don't worry," Gibbs replied, turning back to the cluttered work bench. "I'll tell you what to do. And I guarantee this project won't be too difficult."

Tony frowned, not convinced. "What exactly am I supposed to be making?"

Gibbs answered without turning around.

"A paddle."

"A paddle? If this is for your boat, don't you think it should be a little bigger?" DiNozzo asked, staring skeptically at the thin piece of wood.

"It's not for my boat—it's for your butt," Gibbs replied matter-of-factly.

"For my wh..what..?

"You heard me DiNozzo. Once this is finished, you and I are going to have a little discussion about following orders and procedures, but rather than wasting my time talking to your hard head, I'll be doing my talking with your bare backside."

Tony sat down heavily on the steps, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish.

"Boss, you can't be serious," he managed to gasp out once he had finally found his voice.

Gibbs spun to face him, his eyes flashing with real anger. "I'm deadly serious, Tony. I'm not going to let you quit and take off for yet another crime fighting agency. I'm not going to suspend you and let you come back to work without learning anything but how to beat your best score in those damn video games you play, and I'm sure as hell not firing you and losing one of my best agents. What I am going to do is to make DAMN sure that agent learns a good hard lesson about following orders."

When Tony continued to stare at him in shock, Gibbs came over to the stairs.

"Here's how it's going to work. Tonight, you're going upstairs to get some sleep. Tomorrow, while I go into the office and try like hell to smooth things over with our back up team's leader, you're going to stay here and write a report that will pass inspection while glossing over some of your less than stellar moments. Then when I get back, you and I are coming down here to get started on your little woodworking project. It shouldn't take long. You're going to cut, sand, and varnish it 'til it's smooth as satin. And then Saturday, you and I will be back down here to try it out. That will give you most of the weekend to recover so you're not too uncomfortable sitting at work on Monday. And you will be sitting, since I'm also putting you on desk duty for two weeks."

"C'mon, Boss, you've got to be joking," Tony said, trying for a breezy tone but failing miserably. "I mean, there's no way NCIS would go for that."

"This isn't between you and NCIS—it's between you and me. You don't have to accept it, but it's the only way I'll consider keeping you on my team. Your choice."

Tony stood up. "Some choice!" he said resentfully. "Look, I don't want to be off your team, and I know I screwed up, but there's got to be something else you can do to me. I mean, getting spa…punished like that's for kids."

"Tell that to my DI—or my dad. Look, DiNozzo, the whole idea of this is to make you think about what you did and why you're not going to do it again. I can't think of a better way to get that point across."

"But this is crazy! I'm a federal agent! It's just...just wrong!"

"So is disobeying a direct order, DiNozzo," Gibbs snapped right back. "Like I said, it's your choice. Take the punishment you've earned from me, or face the director on your own and take your chances."

"Fine! I'll just take my chances with Morrow," Tony replied, turning and stomping up the stairs. He stopped before he got to the top, breathing heavily. For all his bravado, he knew Gibbs was right. Without his backing, he had little hope of staying with NCIS, at least not on Gibbs' team, and even after only three months, he already knew Gibbs was the only team leader he wanted to work for.

With a heavy sigh, he turned and descended once again.

"Look, if you're going to do this, couldn't we just get it over with now? I mean, why do we have to go through with the whole wood working project? I'm sure there are plenty of things here you could use to beat me with," he snarled, angry and embarrassed.

Gibbs was by his side in an instant, eyes blazing. "Let's get something clear here, Tony. I am **not** going to beat you. What I am going to do is punish you in a way that might actually make you think. You're a bright kid, but you don't do enough of that. With this punishment, I can guarantee you won't be doing much between now and Saturday **but** thinking about what you did and why you're not going to do it again."

Tony stared back at him for a few moments, trying desperately to think of any argument he could to change his boss' mind. Finding none, he nodded glumly, reluctantly accepting the inevitable. Seeing his weariness, Gibbs pointed up the stairs.

"Look, you're dead on your feet. I know what it's like to be undercover, always sleeping with one eye open. Head on up to the spare room and get some sleep. There should be some extra sweats in the drawer you can use for tonight. I'll grab your duffel bag from the bull pen tomorrow."

"Don't think I'll be getting much sleep between now and Saturday, boss" Tony said morosely.

Gibbs grinned. "Trust me DiNozzo, once your head hits the sheets, you'll be out cold."

Tony privately doubted that, but knew there was no point in arguing. Turning to go back up the stairs he paused again.

"Uh, look, boss, do I have to stay here between now and Saturday? Can't I go home now and just come back…tomorrow?"

Gibbs was shaking his head before Tony had even finished. "Nope, you're going to stay right here where I can keep an eye on you." Seeing yet another protest forming, he cut off the younger man. "Just consider yourself grounded, DiNozzo," he said with some exasperation. "I'm sure you're familiar with the concept."

Tony's scowl grew even deeper. He had known when he made the choice not to follow accepted NCIS procedures on the case that he, or at least his career, was going to pay for it, but he had never imagined that Gibbs would take such a 'hands on' approach to correcting his behavior. He had already discovered that his new boss was somewhat unorthodox, but this was an outcome he could have never imagined.

With a sigh of resignation, he retreated up the stairs. He found the guest room and the promised change of clothes quickly and sank into the soft bed, determined to put the last few days' events behind him. He barely had time to register the fact that Gibbs was right about his exhaustion before he was sound asleep.

He woke late Friday morning feeling a little disoriented. It took him several moments to place where he was, but once he did, everything came rushing back, including his impending punishment. He wandered down to the kitchen, finding a terse note from Gibbs outlining his breakfast choices and reminding him to get his report finished.

Tony poured himself some juice and then sat down at Gibbs ancient computer. He began to work on his report, playing with the wording several times when he got to the part of the operation that had ended up with him in so much trouble. Unfortunately, regardless of the words he chose, the outcome was still the same. He had made the decision to forgo the check in with the back up team and go after little Caitlyn Danforth; a decision that put him at odds with all the protocols in place. But Gibbs had been correct—even knowing the end result, Tony could not honestly say he would have chosen any differently.

Of course, that would be little comfort to him if Gibbs actually carried through with what he had threatened last night. Tony shifted in his chair; even the thought of his promised punishment made him squirm uncomfortably.

With a resigned sigh, he finished and saved the report, hoping the decrepit thing didn't eat it. With that finished, he wandered around Gibbs' house, not really prying, but trying to discover a little bit more about the man who was now his boss.

His search discovered very little. The man liked to read, but nothing more mentally challenging than the current best selling novel. He owned a bible, but it didn't look like it got much use. There were some framed photographs, including a few that looked like they could be of Gibbs' parents, as well as a photograph of a pretty red headed woman and a little girl. There were also a couple of team shots which included Abby and Ducky, and another agent that Tony didn't recognize. Probably someone Gibbs had already chewed up and spit out. The thought wasn't reassuring.

Finally realizing that the house was going to reveal as little as its owner, Tony settled on the couch with one of the novels, trying without much success to distract himself. He would have loved to go for a run, but he had no idea when his boss might return and didn't think it would be a good idea to be missing when he did.

Gibbs came in a short time later. He muttered a greeting to Tony and tossed him the duffle bag Tony kept at his desk in the bullpen and then disappeared upstairs, returning a short time later showered and changed into jeans and a faded tee shirt.

"Did you finish your report?" Gibbs demanded.

"Yeah, boss. I just saved it to your machine. I didn't see a printer anywhere."

Gibbs scowled. "I don't have time to fool with those damn things. I just forward anything I need to the office for printing. I'll read it here and then if it looks all right I'll email it to the director and print out a hard copy at work."

Tony wasn't surprised at the explanation, already well familiar with Gibbs' scorn of all things technological. In fact, he was amazed that his boss could even handle sending an email attachment.

"Uhmm, are you going to read it now?" Tony asked, nervous about Gibbs reaction, but even more dreading the trip to the basement.

"Nope. Right now, I'm going to grab us something to drink and then we'll get started on your little wood working project. Believe me, you don't want me reading it right now. I just spent the better part of the day explaining to Jack Travers why I even have you on my team in the first place."

Tony gulped. Gibbs seemed even more pissed now than he had been last night, and Tony was not looking forward to working with him.

Once they were in the basement, however, Tony was surprised to find that Gibbs was actually a calm and patient teacher. In fact, during the rare moments when he could forget what he was working on, the project was kind of fun and informative. Almost like something he might have done with his father, if the old man had shown any interest in him at all.

Once the basic shape of the paddle was cut out, Tony realized it wasn't going to be very big—not more than eight inches across, with a carefully worked handle. Just the sight of it made Tony queasy, however. Gibbs noticed his distaste for it and grinned, but continued with his quiet instructions for smoothing and sanding the edges.

By early Friday evening the last sanding and coat of varnish was finished. They put away the few tools they had used and then climbed the stairs to the kitchen. Gibbs tossed him a folder of take out menus, telling him to choose something for dinner while he read over Tony's report.

Tony flipped through the menus without interest, keeping one eye on his boss. He was more concerned with how his report would be received and his upcoming punishment than ordering food, but he knew Gibbs wouldn't let him get away with eating nothing. He finally settled on Chinese and placed their order, already knowing from late nights in the bullpen what Gibbs liked.

"The restaurant said it'd be at least an hour, boss, 'cause they're really backed up. Thought I might go for a run," he said, not particularly anxious to be in the same room while Gibbs read his report.

The older man barely glanced up from the screen. "You're not going anywhere DiNozzo. You're grounded, remember? Have a seat."

Tony opened his mouth to protest and then settled for glaring at his boss. He threw himself into a chair, unable to get comfortable. Within moments, he was tapping his fingers nervously on the table and muttering under his breath until a pointed glower from Gibbs made him stop. He tried sitting on his hands, but that only made his knee begin to jiggle uncontrollably.

Gibbs finally threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine, go. But be back in forty five minutes. Not one second more or I will come after you and you'll get to try your new paddle out before the varnish even dries."

Tony blushed at the command, but didn't wait for his boss to change his mind. Within minutes, he was changed and out the door, his long legs carrying him through the neighborhood. He was careful to make it back in well under the appointed time, though he would have enjoyed a longer run to work off some of the nervous tension that had been building all day.

He took a quick shower and returned to Gibbs' living room just as the doorbell rang with their delivery. He grabbed his wallet from the back of his jeans, waving off Gibbs' offer of money.

"Condemned man shouldn't have to buy his own last supper, DiNozzo," the older man said with a smile as they took the food into the kitchen and began to sort it out.

Tony shrugged. "Figure it's the least I can do for you for putting up with me."

Gibbs looked at him oddly, but Tony said nothing further, instead turning his attention to the food. Gibbs settled in to his own with enthusiasm, noticing that while Tony was moving the food around his plate, he was eating little. Gibbs didn't push him, knowing that the next day's promised punishment was weighing heavily on the younger man's mind.

After the quick meal, Gibbs returned to the basement to work on his boat, unsurprised that Tony rejected his invitation to accompany him. Tony tried to return to the novel he'd been reading, but it couldn't hold his interest and he finally headed upstairs to attempt to sleep.

By the time morning came, Tony's stomach was too tied up in knots to even contemplate eating anything. Gibbs seemed to understand and did nothing more than make a perfunctory offer of coffee and toast. He finished sipping his own and then set the cup on the counter.

"All right Tony, let's go."

Without another word, Gibbs headed to the basement, clearly expecting Tony to follow.

As much as he had wanted to get it over with, now that it was actually happening, Tony found himself almost paralyzed with fear. He forced himself down the steps and made his way slowly over to the back of the room where Gibbs was waiting, knowing there was no way to delay the inevitable unless he was willing to call a halt to the whole proceedings.

A large part of him wanted nothing more than to tell Gibbs to go to hell and that he could keep his damn job and his 'alternative' discipline methods, but he knew he couldn't do it. As much as he hated the idea, he believed Gibbs was doing it out of a genuine desire to get his point across without doing any damage to Tony's budding career with NCIS.

His boss held the paddle under the light, turning it from side to side and running a finger along its edge. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you did a good job, DiNozzo. This should hold up for a long time, providing it doesn't get worn out." This last was said with a slight grin that Tony couldn't return.

Sensing the younger man's nervousness, Gibbs moved purposefully toward the workbench and moved a few tools aside. "Right here, Tony," he said, tapping the cleared spot with the paddle.

Tony moved stiffly, still praying Gibbs would have a last minute change of heart and tell him this was all just an exercise. He flashed him one last, desperate look, but Gibbs' face remained impassive, crushing Tony's last hope.

Once he was in position, Gibbs rested his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Okay, jeans and anything else you're wearing down," he said.

With shaking fingers, Tony worked the stubborn button on his jeans and then tugged the zipper down. With a deep breath for courage, he slid them down, taking his boxers with them. His face flamed at the exposure. Though growing up in the thoroughly male world of prep school, locker rooms and the police academy had pretty much erased any shyness he might feel, those circumstances were entirely different from standing in your boss' basement with your bare butt and dick hanging out, waiting to get your tail end paddled.

Thankfully, Gibbs paid little notice to his embarrassment. He simply pushed Tony gently down until his torso was resting on the workbench and rested the cool wood of the paddle on his butt.

Tony suddenly jumped up. "Stop! Wait! You didn't say how many I was going to get!" he said desperately.

"Sorry Tony, but that's on a need to know basis, and right now, you don't need to know. Trust me, you'll figure out when I'm finished," Gibbs said quietly.

Tony sank back down, though he barely had time to grit his teeth and try and prepare himself before he felt the wood leave and then return with a sharp crack, and, a moment later, an unbelievable sting.

He jerked slightly but managed to keep still, determined to take whatever Gibbs planned to dish out "like a Marine". His boss was already angry at him—no reason to make the man disgusted with him, too. His resolve swiftly weakened as Gibbs continued snapping the paddle against his skin firmly, spreading the initial sting into a burning haze of pain that covered his whole backside.

Within moments, he was squirming and gripping the wood of the scarred workbench tightly, trying hard to concentrate on the tools, the bits of sawdust; anything that would help keep him from crying out.

The paddling went on for what seemed like an age, making it very clear to Tony exactly how irritated Gibbs was about his poor judgment. He finally gave up on being stoic, letting out a strangled cry with each whack of the paddle.

Between the blood rushing in his ears and the burning pain, it was a few moments before he realized that the spanking had ended. He was barely aware of Gibbs laying the paddle on the workbench.

"Come on upstairs when you're ready, Tony" Gibbs said softly, again resting a hand on the younger man's shoulders for a moment before he released him and silently climbed the stairs.

Tony did not reply, too busy concentrating on just breathing for a few minutes. He stayed bent over, gasping, trying to recapture both his breath and his dignity, feeling the burn settle to a steady throbbing.

He angrily wiped the tears from his eyes, frustrated with himself for crying and shaming himself. He had never imagined the paddling would hurt so much. Though he had been spanked before, both as a kid and as a fraternity- rushing freshman, this had been so much worse than he had even anticipated.

He tentatively reached a hand back, feeling the roughness and heat of the abused skin. Deciding rubbing was out of the question, he slowly eased his boxers and jeans up, wincing as they immediately intensified the sting as they held in the burning heat.

The thought of facing Gibbs again was not appealing, but he realized he couldn't stay there forever. With one final brush of his eyes, he slowly climbed the stairs, grimacing as his jeans rubbed against his newly-tenderized bottom. His boss was waiting in the kitchen, leaning on the counter sipping coffee.

Tony kept his eyes downcast, his arms wrapped tightly around himself as though warding off a chill.

"Are we finished here? Because I'd like to call a cab and go home now," he muttered softly, his voice still thick with emotion. He couldn't bear to look at his boss.

Gibbs continued drinking his coffee, staring silently at the younger man and then he set the cup on the counter.

"I'll take you home now, Tony; if that's what you want. But the Buckeyes are playing the Oklahoma Sooners this afternoon and I thought maybe you'd like to stay and watch the game."

Tony was so shocked he forgot his embarrassment and jerked his head up to stare open- mouthed at his boss. "Stay here? After…?"

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders. "Only if you want to, Tony. I know how you love your alma mater, and I know you try and catch the games whenever we're not working. I just thought that you might like to relax for a while and I have a huge pot of chili that I've been keeping in the freezer. I don't watch too many sports myself, but I thought you could keep me company and watch the game while I work on the boat."

Tony's first reaction was to give Gibbs an immediate and vehement 'no'. How could his boss even think he'd want to spend another minute here after what had just happened? But the idea of climbing into a car—or even worse-- into a cab, was distinctly unappealing. He was tired, sore and emotionally wrung out and right now, lying down (on his stomach) somewhere quiet was about all he could think of. And Gibbs seemed different from the stern man he had been just a few minutes ago, or even the normally taciturn boss he was at work. This Gibbs seemed kinder and almost… hesitant, as if he was unsure what kind of reception his offer would receive.

Tony stared at him in confusion. "I thought you were mad at me, boss."

Gibbs shook his head with a look of almost fond exasperation. "I'm not mad at you, Tony. I was angry at the choice you made, and I gave you the punishment you deserved, which you took very bravely, by the way, and now we move on. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work," he replied, indirectly acknowledging the bits and pieces he had heard of Tony's difficult relationship with his father.

"Bravely?! I acted like a baby—I couldn't even keep from crying." Tony burst out, his face flaming in remembered shame.

To his surprise, Gibbs laughed out loud. "Trust me, DiNozzo, that was a foregone conclusion before we even started. I never made it through a punishment like that without howling my head off."

Tony couldn't imagine his stoic boss ever howling over anything, but he had to admit the image made him smile.

"But why would you want me to stay here? I figured you'd want me out of your sight as soon as possible. I've been here almost two days," Tony persisted.

"I'm well aware of how long you've been here, Tony. I just thought that maybe you'd like to stay a little longer. As I said, it's not an order. Your punishment's over, except for the desk duty part. I'll take you home whenever you're ready."

Tony pretended to think it over for a moment, but in reality, the pain in his butt decided for him. "I guess I'll stay for a while, boss, if you're sure you don't mind."

"Wouldn't have offered if I did DiNozzo," Gibbs replied, hiding his smile. "Now, are you ready to eat something? Chili won't be ready for a couple of hours, but I can fix you some toast or something since you skipped breakfast."

Tony had to admit to himself that now that the punishment was just a painful memory, his appetite had returned a little, but the idea of sitting at Gibbs small table, with its hard wooden chairs, was not appealing. Nor was the strain of trying to make conversation after what had just happened.

"No thanks, boss. Think I'll just rack out on the couch for a while."

"Have it your way, then. I'll let you know when the game starts."

Tony made his way into the living room and gently eased himself down onto the cushions, wincing as he tried to find a comfortable position. It was a good thing he had all the rest of the weekend to recover, because he had a feeling that sitting was going to be unpleasant for at least the next few days. With a relieved sigh, he maneuvered himself onto his stomach, grabbing a throw pillow to tuck under his head.

He lay quietly, still surprised with himself for accepting Gibbs offer to stay for the afternoon. He told himself it was only because his rear end was hurting, but he knew there was more to it than that. Most of his father's punishments had actually been less severe physically, but with little if any resolution afterwards. But Gibbs seemed genuinely interested in his well-being, and Tony knew he could believe him when the older man said the matter had been laid to rest.

He was interrupted in his musings by Gibbs appearing with a plate and a glass of orange juice.

"Thought you could use a bite to eat," his boss said, pulling the end table a little closer, "but I figured you'd be more comfortable in here."

Tony started to push himself up to sit, but Gibbs waved him back, smiling knowingly.

"Stay as you are, Tony. A few crumbs on this old couch won't matter."

He set the juice on the table and handed Tony the plate, noticing the younger man's eyes light up when he realized that Gibbs had fixed his toast exactly like he always ordered it when they stopped for breakfast while on a case—two with peanut butter and two with grape jelly.

"Thanks, boss," Tony said, his voice rough with emotion. He balanced the plate carefully and bit gratefully into the toast, his appetite returning full force. It took him only minutes to finish both the toast and juice.

"Guess you're feeling better," Gibbs remarked wryly, amazed at the speed at which Tony had polished off his snack.

"Mostly," Tony replied, giving his rear end a rueful rub. "So, can I ask you a question? What made you decide to…uhm, handle my punishment this way?"

"Easy—'cause you deserved it and any sanctions I gave you officially would stay on your record for your entire career. At least that's the reason my CO gave me when he did the same thing. Only he used a strap, which believe me, was every bit as effective."

"But what about making the paddle?"

"That's a trick I learned from my father. He figured out pretty early that the lessons from most punishments he gave me only lasted as long as the burn in my butt. He thought that making my own paddle might give me a little more time to think about what I'd done wrong."

"Of course, he also knew that if I could always predict what kind of punishment I could expect for something I did, I might just decide to do it anyway if I thought it was worth the risk, so sometimes he had to get even more creative."

"More creative?" Tony asked uneasily.

"Oh, yeah. He had lots of ideas to keep me in line," Gibbs replied with an evil grin. "And you know, I've learned enough about you to figure we're alike in that way. I know you're familiar with the procedures that NCIS follows if an agent screws up, but if I throw in something different, then you never know what the penalty might be. Might make you think next time."

Right now, Tony couldn't even comprehend the idea of 'next time'. He was still trying to come to terms with this one.

"So do you do this to all your agents who piss you off?" he asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope."

Tony's head dropped in embarrassment and his cheeks burned. It figured he'd be the only one to get punished like this. He was surprised when Gibbs lifted his chin a moment later.

"I only do it for the ones that are worth keeping," Gibbs clarified softly, reaching up to ruffle Tony's hair.

THE END

July 2008


End file.
